By Nwabueze Okonkwo
Traders at the Ogbo-Ogwu Bridgehead Drug Market in Onitsha, Anambra State, on Tuesday protested the continuous closure of their shops by the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, after two months of market closure.
The traders, under the aegis of Concerned and Genuine Members of Ogbo-Ogwu Drug Market, lamented that the development had brought them untold hardship, financial burdens and the premature death of some of their members, whose source of livelihood had been reduced to rubble.
The aggrieved protesters, numbering over 2,000, who carried placards with different inscriptions, marched around the market starting from the Oshogbo Motor Park, up to the River Niger Bridge and back to Uga Junction, claimed that no fewer than five traders have died, and several others hospitalized due to depression and hunger.
Some of the placards read, “Trouble is too much for us,” “ We are not merchants of death,” “We are saving lives,” “NAFDAC, stop the intimidation now,” “ We were looted and intimidated,” “Enough of this marginalisation,” and “ They took away cash from our shops,” among other things.
While addressing journalists during the protest, the National Convener/Secretary, Concerned Genuine Members of Ogbo-Ogwu Drugs Market, Chinedu Ifeacho and co-convener, Emmanuel Ozoemenam, said their shops are still under lock and key, contrary to claims by NAFDAC that it has reopened it.
Ifeacho and Ozoemenam urged the Federal Government to prevail on NAFDAC to reopen the market and also investigate claims of seizure of fake drugs, insisting that NAFDAC officials illegally invaded their shops in their absence and carted away genuine registered drugs of over 60 trailer loads from the various shops.
They listed some of their demands, saying, “We, the members of the Ogbo-Ogwu drug market, after our long-awaited first general meeting with the caretaker committee Chairman and his executives since the invasion of the market by NAFDAC officials, made the following declarations.
“That NAFDAC invaded our various shops in our absence and carted away properly registered goods worth Billions of Naira.
Also, some of the aggrieved members of the concerned traders, Prince Friday Osisi candy Stephen Enebo, accused NAFDAC officials of carting away almost all the drugs from multinational companies like the USA, Germany, Turkey, and Pakistan, all of which are of international standards and impeccable qualities.
According to Osisi and Enebo, “the claims by NAFDAC that all the drugs they carted away are fake and substandard are inhumane and malicious lies meant to tarnish the image of thousands of responsible and genuine businessmen and women at Ogbo-Ogwu drug market.”
“That we challenge the Federal Government to set up a high powered panel of enquiry to investigate the goods carted away in over 60 trailer loads with the aim of ascertaining the veracity of the claims of NAFDAC Director-General and some of her corrupt officials”.
“That the claims by NAFDAC officials that our various shops were being searched in our presence are another set of malicious and fabricated lies meant to carpet their heinous crime of barbaric breaking, entering, exploring and looting of someone’s shop in his absence, including boutiques in the market in this 21st century and democratic world.
“That it has become clear that Mr Chukwuelota led caretaker committee is not capable of leading and protecting the interest of Ogbogwu drug market.”
The aggrieved traders also passed a vote of no confidence on the market caretaker committee Chairman and his executive and called for their immediate resignation.
They also claimed that NAFDAC had imposed a fine of N2 million before any shop could be reopened, saying it was for documentation purposes.
“We reject in its entirety the criminal fines imposed on us by NAFDAC and call on the Federal minister of health and National Security Adviser, the National Assembly, to come to our rescue.
“We demand the immediate and unconditional reopening of the market to genuine businessmen and women of Ogbo-Ogwu drug market to ascertain the level of looting bequeathed on genuine businessmen and women in the market. Over five persons have died, and several others have been hospitalized due to depression.
“We call for the immediate prosecution of those caught with suspected fake and substandard drugs, in conjunction with the present caretaker committee who collaborated with them to bring those deadly drugs into the market.
“We remain law abiding to the Federal Government led by President Bola Tinubu. We also pledge our loyalty to the state government led by Prof. Chukwuma Soludo,” the traders added.
A trader, Uchechukwu Ola, said, “It’s been two months since our market was sealed, and within this period, we have not been able to feed as the shop is the only source of living we depend upon.
“We want the government to open the market, we are dealers of genuine products, the claims by NAFDAC about the market are not true. The drugs that were carted away are genuine and registered drugs.”
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